    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [December 7, 2004]
    [Pages 3051-3056]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at Camp Pendleton, California
    December 7, 2004

        Thank you all. Thank you for the warm welcome. It was getting a
    little quiet back at the White House--[laughter]--so I decided to drop
    in on the Devil Dogs. Thank

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    you for coming out to say hello. I've been looking forward to this for
    quite a while. It's a pleasure to be with so many squared-away, gung-ho
    United States marines.
        I'm here to thank you for serving our country in a time when we need
    you. In a season where Americans stop to count their blessings, I want
    you to know one of America's greatest blessings is the men and women who
    wear our Nation's uniform. And many of you are blessed by having a
    husband or wife or a son and daughter who stand with you during this
    time of sacrifice. Our Nation is blessed because of our military
    families. Your fellow citizens are proud of you, and so is your
    Commander in Chief.
        I appreciate Secretary of the Navy Gordon England for joining us today. I want to thank Major General Tim
    Donovan for his leadership. I want to
    thank Brigadier General James Williams for
    being here as well. I want to thank all the State and local officials. I
    want to thank the military families. But most of all, I want to thank
    the United States Marine Corps.
        Last month, marines across the world broke out their dress blues to
    celebrate the 229th birthday of the Corps. But the men and women of Camp
    Pendleton's 1st Marine Expeditionary Force marked the occasion a little
    differently, by fighting the enemies in Iraq. As one Pendleton marine
    near the frontlines put it, ``This is what we, as marines, do. It is
    where the American people expect us to be.'' The marines of Camp
    Pendleton are serving our Nation with valor and integrity.
        This is the home of the 1st Marine Division, one of America's oldest
    and most decorated units. In Korea, the marines of the 1st Division were
    surrounded at the Chosin Reservoir by 10 divisions of Chinese troops.
    When Colonel Chesty Puller heard the news, he said, ``They've got us
    right where we want them. We can shoot in every direction now.'' He
    wasn't bluffing.
        The 1st Marine Division made it out, destroying seven enemy
    divisions and upholding the great tradition of the Corps. That courage,
    determination, and devotion to duty have made the United States Marines
    one of the most feared and respected fighting forces in the world. And
    in these dangerous times, when terrorists seek to harm our families and
    murder free citizens, Americans are thankful that the marines are on the
    frontline, taking the fight to the enemy.
        Since I took office almost 4 years ago, I have visited our troops
    around the world, and one of my first stops as the Commander in Chief
    was right here in Camp Pendleton. It was in the summer of 2001. I told
    you that day, because you're marines, you would be asked to perform our
    Nation's most difficult and dangerous missions. Since that day, you have
    performed every mission with honor and with courage and with commitment.
        In the war on terror, you have fought enemies' freedom--freedom's
    enemies from the caves and mountains of Afghanistan to the deserts and
    cities of Iraq. Marines of Camp Pendleton's 15th Marine Expeditionary
    Unit were the first conventional forces to fight in Operation Enduring
    Freedom. They deployed hundreds of miles into a landlocked country to
    help seize the Kandahar Airport, hunted down the Taliban and Al Qaida
    fighters, and helped to liberate more than 28 million people from one of
    the world's most brutal regimes.
        If any of you were in that 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I want
    you to hear what's happening today. Today the Vice President of the United States and the Secretary of
    Defense are in Kabul for the inauguration
    of Afghanistan's first democratically elected President. Afghanistan has been transformed from a haven for
    terrorists to a steadfast ally in the war on terror, and the American
    people are safer because of your courage.
        When America led a coalition to enforce the demands of the free
    world and to end the regime of Saddam Hussein, the marines of Camp Pendleton made us proud once

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    again. When the appointed hour came, the 1st Marine Division rolled
    across the border, pressing more than 500 miles over the Iraqi desert in
    less than one month. Backed by the 1st Force Service Support Group and
    the 3d Marine Aircraft Wing, you helped liberate the Iraqi capital,
    pulled down the statues of the dictator, and pushed north to secure the
    homeland of Tikrit. You drove Saddam Hussein from his palace into a
    spider hole, and now he sits in an Iraqi prison awaiting justice.
    Because of your bravery, because of your skill, America and the world
    are a safer place.
        In recent days, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force has once again
    shown America's purpose and resolve, this time in Fallujah. Block by
    block, building by building, marines and soldiers and Iraqi security
    forces took that city back from the terrorists and the insurgents, and
    when the smoke is cleared, we saw once again the true nature of the
    enemy. We found bloodstained torture chambers where hostages had been
    executed. We found videos of beheadings and brutal terrorist attacks. We
    found travel documents of foreign terrorists and equipment of forging
    Iraqi passports to make the foreign fighters appear to be Iraqi
    insurgents. We found more than 600 improvised explosive devices,
    including an ice cream truck that had been loaded with bombs for a
    terrorist attack.
        In the battle for Fallujah, the terrorists hid weapons in the
    cemetery. They hid ammunition in private homes. They hid bombs in
    mosques, but they could not hide from the United States Marines.
        We have dealt the enemy a severe blow. The terrorist
    Zarqawi has lost his main sanctuary in
    Iraq. The Ba'athist insurgents have lost one of their main bases of
    operation. We seized tons of weapons and shut down terrorist bombmaking
    factories, killed more than 2,000 enemy fighters, and captured thousands
    more. The enemies of freedom in Iraq have been wounded, but they're not
    yet defeated. They'll keep on fighting, and so will the Marine Corps.
        Next month, Iraqis will vote in free and democratic elections. As
    election day approaches, we can expect further violence from the
    terrorists. You see, the terrorists understand what is at stake. They
    know they have no future in a free Iraq, because free people never
    choose their own enslavement. They know democracy will give Iraqis a
    stake in the future of their country. When Iraqis choose their leaders
    in free elections, it will destroy the myth that the terrorists are
    fighting a foreign occupation and make clear that what the terrorists
    are really fighting is the will of the Iraqi people.
        The success of democracy in Iraq will also inspire others across the
    Middle East to defend their own freedom and to expose the terrorists for
    what they are, violent extremists on the fringe of society with no
    agenda for the future except tyranny and death.
        So the terrorists will do all they can to delay and disrupt free
    elections in Iraq, and they will fail. As Iraqi President al-Yawr said in the Oval Office yesterday, the
    Iraqi people are anxious to go and cast their votes and practice, for
    the first time in 45 years, their right and duty of voting. Free
    elections will proceed as planned.
        The United States has a vital interest in the success of a free
    Iraq. A free Iraq will be a major victory in the war on terror. Free
    nations do not export terror. Free nations listen to the hopes and
    aspirations of their people. Free nations are peaceful nations. And a
    free Iraq will make America more secure and the world a peaceful place.
        America and our coalition have a strategy in place to aid the rise
    of a stable democracy in Iraq. To help the Iraqi Government provide
    security during the election period, we will increase U.S. troop
    strength by about 12,000 personnel for a total of 150,000 troops. As the
    election approaches, coalition forces will continue hunting the
    terrorists and the insurgents. We'll help the

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    people of Fallujah and other cities to rebuild and to move forward.
    We'll continue training Iraqi security forces so the Iraqi people can
    eventually take responsibility for their own security.
        Some Iraqi units have performed better than others, as you know.
    Some Iraqis have been intimidated enough by the insurgents to leave the
    service to their country. But a great many are standing firm. In
    Fallujah, Iraqis fought alongside our soldiers and marines with valor
    and determination. One American soldier who saw them up close in combat
    said, ``They really excelled, kicking in the doors, clearing the houses,
    running out into fire to pick up wounded marines.'' The Iraqi security
    forces made up about 20 percent of the forces in Fallujah. They're
    killing the terrorists, blocking the escape routes, and saving American
    lives. These brave Iraqis are fighting for their freedom, and we are
    proud to stand by their side.
        Our coalition is determined to help them succeed. We're working to
    develop a corps of well-trained senior, mid-level Iraqi officers. After
    all, Iraqi soldiers want to be led by Iraqis. NATO trainers are already
    in Iraq, and the Alliance will soon develop a new training center for
    the Iraqi security forces and a military academy outside of Baghdad. We
    will help the Iraqi Government build a force that no longer needs
    coalition support so they can defend their own Nation. And then American
    soldiers and marines can come home with the honor they have earned.
        Our success in Iraq will make America safer for us and for future
    generations. As one Marine sergeant put it, ``I never want my children
    to experience what we saw in New York, at the Pentagon, and in
    Pennsylvania.'' He said, ``If we can eliminate the threat on foreign
    soil, I would rather do it there than have it come home to us.'' That's
    why we're on the offensive today in Fallujah and Mosul, Ramadi and north
    Babil. We're getting after the terrorists. We're disrupting their plans.
    We're holding the state sponsors of terror equally responsible for
    terrorist acts. We're working to prevent outlaw regimes from gaining
    weapons of mass murder and providing them to terrorists. We'll stay at
    these efforts with patience and resolve, and we will prevail.
        A time of war is a time for sacrifice, especially for our military
    families. Being left behind when a loved one goes to war is one of the
    hardest jobs in the military. It is especially hard during the holidays.
    Families here at Camp Pendleton endure long separation. Carrying these
    burdens, you serve our country. America is grateful for your service.
        Our Nation also honors the men and women who've been injured in the
    line of duty. I met some of these Americans. This Saturday, I'll be
    going to Bethesda to meet more. Many face a hard road ahead. They've
    inspired their comrades with their strength of will. General
    Sattler recently visited with some of the
    wounded in the Fallujah campaign. One marine was pretty beat up, but
    when he saw the general, he lifted his hand and said, ``Sir, I've still
    got my trigger finger. I can get back out there.'' That is the spirit of
    the Corps, and America will show the same sense of duty. We will provide
    the best possible medical care for every American servicemember wounded
    in action.
        And some of you have lost comrades and family members in the war on
    terror. Words can only go so far in capturing the grief and sense of
    loss for the families of those who have died, but you can know this:
    They gave their lives for a cause that is just. And as in other
    generations, their sacrifice will have spared millions from the lives of
    tyranny and sorrow. America prays for the families of the fallen, and we
    stand with the families of the fallen, and their sacrifice will always
    be remembered.
        In the last 4 years, I've seen and the world has seen the courage
    and the skill and the decency of the United States military. You are a
    great force for good in this world. The American people know it,

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    and they are behind you. Your service and sacrifice has touched the
    hearts of our people and inspired millions to show their gratitude.
        Last month, I met a 15-year-old from California named Shauna
    Fleming, who collected a million thank you
    letters for our military personnel. In Washington, DC, veterans--Vietnam
    vet Steve Cobb and his wife, Tanya, have been coming out regularly to
    Andrews Air Force Base to meet wounded servicemembers returning from
    Iraq and Afghanistan. Those two good folks welcome the troops home, and
    they offer whatever help they can provide. Steve earned four Purple
    Hearts and the Silver Star in Vietnam, but this is what he said. He
    said, ``When I came home, there was nobody but demonstrators to meet our
    troops. I never wanted to see another generation of troops come home
    without being welcomed and appreciated.''
        In Massachusetts, a contractor named John Gonsalves says--heard about a soldier who had lost both legs in an
    RPG attack in Iraq. So he started Homes for Our Troops, a nonprofit
    dedicated to building and adapting homes for disabled veterans with
    special needs. John says, ``The war on terror is something the American
    people should all be a part of, not just the people on the frontlines in
    Afghanistan and in Iraq.'' He says, ``We have a responsibility to do
    more for our veterans who are out there fighting every day and putting
    their lives on the line.''
        Here at Camp Pendleton, a nurse named Karen Guenther saw the financial strain on the families of the injured
    sailors and marines. Many spent weeks, even months away from home,
    standing by their loved ones recovering at a military hospital. They
    struggle with the cost of food and lodging and travel and lost income.
    So she and other Marine spouses started the Injured Marine Semper Fi
    Fund to raise money for those struggling military families. Since its
    founding here 6 months ago, it has grown into a national organization
    that has helped over 300 military families across the United States,
    with more than $400,000 in grants.
        As a wife of a wounded marine recently put it, ``There was no
    redtape. They just helped. Had it not been for the Injured Marine Semper
    Fi Fund, I would not have been able to pay my bills for the past 3
    months or stay at my husband's bedside.''
        These examples represent the true strength of the country, the heart
    and souls of your fellow citizens, and they make America proud. Across
    our country, Americans are coming together to surround our deployed
    forces and wounded warriors with love and support. We should be doing
    more, so I want to speak to our fellow citizens who might be listening
    today. I urge every American to find some way to thank our military and
    to help out the military family down the street. The Department of
    Defense has set up a web site: americasupportsyou.mil. If you're
    interested in finding out how you can help, go to
    americasupportsyou.mil. You can go there to learn about efforts in your
    own community to say you support our troops. In this season of giving,
    let us stand with the men and women who stand up for America, our
    military.
        Every man and woman who serves at Camp Pendleton and all who wear
    the Marine Corps uniform are part of a great history. The general
    mentioned, 63 years ago today, our Nation was attacked at Pearl Harbor.
    And soon, the United States Marines were storming beaches and engaging
    the enemy in distant lands. In places like Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima, our
    fathers and our grandfathers struggled and sacrificed to defend freedom.
    And today, in places like Fallujah and north Babil, this generation of
    marines is fighting to extend freedom.
        Today's war on terror will not end with a ceremony, a surrender
    ceremony on a deck of a battleship. But it will end with victory. Just
    as we defeated the threats of fascism and imperial communism in the 20th
    century, we will defeat the threat of

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    global terrorism. And we will help the people of liberated countries to
    rebuild and to secure a future of freedom and peace.
        I have confidence in our country, and I have faith in our cause.
    There's still important work ahead, yet the outcome is assured. History
    moves toward freedom because the desire for freedom is written in every
    human heart. And the cause of freedom is in the best of hands. It's in
    the hands of people like the United States Marine Corps.
        The United States Marines will fight, in the words of the Rifleman's
    Creed, ``until victory is America's and there is no enemy.''
        May God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States
    of America.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:34 a.m. In his remarks, he referred to
    Maj. Gen. Timothy E. Donovan, USMC, commanding general, Marine Corps
    Base Camp Pendleton; Brig. Gen. James L. Williams, USMC, acting
    commanding general, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Base Camp
    Pendleton; President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan; senior Al Qaida
    associate Abu Musab Al Zarqawi; President Ghazi al-Ujayl al-Yawr of the
    Iraqi Interim Government; and Lt. Gen. John F. Sattler, commanding
    general, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Fallujah, Iraq. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    these remarks.